Plant for washing coal and other minerals



A. FRANCE 1, .PLANT FOR WASHING COAL AND OTHER MINERALS July 22, 1930.

Filed Ndv. 7, 1927 Patented July 22, I930 ,Anmon m FRANCE, or LIEGE, BELGIUM PLAN! FOR WASHING JOAL AND OTHER MINERALS Application filed November 7, .1927, Serial No. 231,650, and in Belgium March 4, 1927.

The present invention relates to an improvement in plants for washing coal and other minerals of the type wherein the latter are sorted, in order of their respective densities, inside one or more horizontal or slightly inclined launders, this sorting being effected by the action-of an alluvium forming stream, whereby the light particles are driven into the upper layers while the dense particles are sent down towards the bottom parts of the launder or launders, which are provided with slots for the reception of-the dense particles so sent down. Now, to avoid the falling of light articles through the slots,

which are inten ed for conveying away amaterial the density of which should reach at least a given minimum, it is desirable that the layer of dense material'which is upstream with relationto these slots shall be freed from its light particles, and shall be of a sufficient and uniform thickness to avoid the liability of the light particles being driven into the slot simultaneouslywith the dense products. It is further desirable that the i. e. sufficiently freed from any particles of another class and detrimental to them. Now,

the circumstances which prevail during the' classification areliable to vary with the general shape of launder'section; it will accordingly be adequate to make the efiective section of the launder at all points of a configuration which has been judiciously determined so as to ensure that the various stages of the operation follow each other in such sequence as to obtain the desired classification. On the other hand, as both quality and quantity. or the nature of the material, are liable to frequent changes, it is of great avail to provide for-the possibility of easily regulating the shape of the section, and as it is particularly desirable to secure a favourable shapefor the lower layers of dense material, the advantage will lie in the possibility of more judiciously shaping that portion of the laundersection which is nearest the bottom.

The present invention has for its object to provide a mechanical adjustment of the effective section of the launder, and commaterials which are to pass over and beyond prisesdevices permanently located inthe launder and movable transversely of the launder, to allow the section of the launder to be adjusted. in the lower parts thereof. The invention also includes devices for this 5 purpose embodying a set of plates or false sides forming a combination of movable surfaces of variable inclination and direction, capable of modifying the section of the launder in such a manner that the shapes of plan sections made at different levels are variable. The invention further includes the various details and embodiments hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a cross section and a sectional plan of a portion of launder equipped at both sides with a device for adjusting its Width;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic sectional plan illustrating a portion of launder wherein an adjustment of the effective section is secured by the employment of a particular arrangement of several movable slides;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic sectional plan 7:; showing a length of launder wherein a movable slide consists of two parts capable of sliding longitudinally one upon the other;

Figure 5 is a sectional plan showing a modification wherein an end of a portion of slide is overlapped by the corresponding end of the next portion of slide.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the launder, showing the slots (of known type) and the slides.

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view on line VII-VII of Fig. 6.

lVith reference to Figures '1 and 2, the device according to this invention for. the purpose of adjusting the Width of the launder or portion of launder 1 consists of two lateral plates or false sides 2 extending upwards and so bent at their lower ends as to form flanges 3,whicl1 rest upon the launder bottom. These plates 2 can be shifted transversely of the launder 1 by means of screws 4 each of whichtraverses a screw-threaded hole 5 in the corresponding side of the laun- Cal er a0 der. Each plate 2 is connected at its upper edge by a hinge 6 to a second plate 7, the

' der l. It will be readily understood that the adjustment of the channel width by means of the arrangement just described can easily take place whilst the washing plant is in operation.

The arrangement illustrated in Figure 3 is a combination of movable slides, which is shown here by way of an example, to explain an arrangement whereby particularly favourable conditions will prevail for securing, upstream of every slot 9, a bedding of dense material having a sufiicient thickness and homogeneity to prevent any light particles, which travel above this bedding, escaping 'iCWll with the dense particles into the slot 9 and the discharge, packet 10 arranged beneath the slot, and to still increase, on their passing these slots, the difference in the speed a t which the light and the dense particles are rspectively driven along the launder'bottom.

Such an arrangement will enable the following results to be obtained; in the stage in C,

from A to B, an increasing thickness of the layer of dense material moved along the launder bottom, owing to the section getting narrower and narrower ;-then, from B the layer of dense material has its thickness regularized owin to the uniform st ion of the launder; t lie operator can li :by avail himself of all the conditions fa- .:-able to the obtaining of an evacuation lense material freed from any light pares, since he gets, in front ofithe slot, a rer of dense material of a sufliciently uniiorm thickness, in addition to which is to be noted that the light particles are the better separated from the dense material bedding as they are driven away at a higher rate of speed upstream and above the device, owing to the launder getting narrower and narr er, at these points ;-from C to D, he will he re the advantage of a depositing of the (1 use particles which would be dragged along in the upper art of the stream, under coaation of t e'spreading of the material gather with the decrease in the speed at e ch the stream lpasses, due to the widening o. he launder in t e direction of its length 1": an 'D to E the layers get more regularly i need, for the efiectivesection of the launc is there uniform throughout the len h of ieender considered ;-then, from E to the dense material layer gets thicker while fostering separation of the light particles which are driven along together With the dense particles.

Means such as screws 4 or the like have been provided for adjusting the position of the movable slides and for modifying the shape of the effective section of the launder if such modification be needed, say, for example, in the event of some change in either quality or quantity of the material being dealt with.

The movable slides are generally Vertical i. e. perpendicular to the bottom of the launder and one slide is connected to the other by hinges illustrated in A, B, O, D, E, F. On turning the screw 4 to the left, the plate B C is pulled back and the end D of the adjacent plate C D slides in the slide-way inv tegral with the next plate D D, whilst the other adjacent plate A B. acting as 2. connecting rod, pushes the plate A A forward, mak ing it slide in a slide-way A integral with the side of the launder. Similarly, the turnin of the screw 1 causes plates D E, D D, E to move, as also the slideways D, E integral with the two last-named plates and the ends of plates C D and F E to slide in these slideways. These last slide-ways may consist of two plates parallelly mounted on the edges of the slide.

The movable slides may be of more complicated types, more particularly the type illustrated by Fig. 1 may be applied to them. In-this case the lower plates 2 of two consecutive movable slides may be connected by hinges.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the false sides or lateral partitions of the length of laun'der considered can consist of two parts 2 and 2' capable of sliding one upon the other in such a manner as to move, for example, from'the position shown in full lines to that shown in dotted lines. An arrangement of this kind can be useful if, for example, the operator has to adjust that length of the launder wherein the section remains uniform but also adjustable in width. Accordin to the needs prevailin at the time, it wil be advisable to use elther slides or movable plates, the sizes of which will be regulated in such a manner as to result in suitable modifications in the shape of the length of launder considered.

In Fig. 4, the movable-slides or plates, which are again generally perpendicular to the bottom of the launder, are connected in 8to the sides of thelaunder. When the lates 2 and 2' are moved either longitudina l ortransversely of the launder, the sides 0 the launder move with them and slide in slide ways having the screwholes 5 formed therein. The type illustrated by Fig. 1 can also be ap lied in this case, in the same way as descri ed for Fig. 3.

To avoid anysolid particles penetrating hereinbefore described are mere examples of practical embodiments of the present way of securing the adjustment of the effective section of the launder, and it should be noted that such adjustment can be arrived at by resorting to any similar means; similarly,

the invention is not confined to a symmetrical arrangement, since the provision of movable plates may be restricted to one side only of the launder; likewise, the control of the adjustment by means of-screws has been stated merely by way of example intended for facilitating; comprehension of the description, and it should be understood that the control can be effected by any other means.

I claim: a

1. In plants for washing coaland other minerals,-comprising a launder in which the products are classified according to their specific gravity under the action of a liquid conveying stream and in the bottom of which are arranged slots for delivering the products which move in the bottom part of said launder: baffles extending at right angles from the bottom of the launder to a level inside said launder, baflles at an angle with the first-mentioned battles and connected at one of their ends to said first-mentioned baffles and resting at their other ends upon the lateral sides of the launder, means to adjust the position of the first-mentioned baflies inside the launder, thereby adjusting the width of 'zhe bottom portion of the launder.

2. In plants foriwashing coal and other minerals, comprising a launderin which the products are classified according to specific gravity, under the action of a liquid conveying stream, and in the bottom of which are arranged transverse slots for discharging the products which move in the bottom part of said launder: a series of partitions extending inside the launder at right angles from the bottom thereof and parallel to the sides thereof, a series of partitions extend-.

ing inside the launder at right angles from the bottom thereof and each connecting two partitions extending parallel to the sides, the

arrangement being such that all the partitions cooperate to form at least one uninterrupted false side to be applied to a lateral side of the launder over a substantial length thereof, and means to independently move said first-mentioned partitions transversely of the launder.

8. In plants for Washing coal and other minerals, comprising a launder in which the products are classified according to specific gravity, under the act-ion of a liquid conveying stream, and in the bottom of which are arranged'transverse slots for discharging the products which move in the bottom part of said launder: a series of partitions e. tending inside the launder at right angles from the bottom thereof to format least one uninterrupted false side to be applied to a lateral side of the launder, the arrangement being such that the inner section of the launder varies in the downstream direction soas to comprise consecutively a portion gradually widening from a point located downstream of a slot, a relatively Wide portion of constant section, a portion gradually narrowing up to a point located upstream of the next slot, a relatively narrow portion of constant section extending from a point upstream to a point downstream of said last-mentioned slot, and means to independently move transversely of the launder thepartitions forming thesaid portions of constant section.

4. In plants for washing coal and other minerals, comprising a launder in which the products are classified according to specific gravity, under the action of a liquid conveying stream, and in thebottom of'which are arranged transverse slots for discharging the products which move in the bottom part of said launder: partitions extending longitudinally inside the launder at right angles from the bottom thereof to form at least one uninterrupted false side to be applied to a lateral side of the launder over a substantial length thereof, means to move a number of said partitions transversely-of the'launder, and means to move a number of said partitions longitudinally of the launder.

5. In plants for washing coal and other minerals, comprising a launder in which the products are classified according to specific gravity, under the action of a liquid conveying stream, and in the bottom of which are arranged transverse slots for discharging the" her of partitions longitudinally of the launder, so as to vary the length of the said parts overlapping each other.

6. In plants for washing coal and other minerals, comprising a launder in which the 2 products are classified according to specific gravity, under the action of a liquid convey- Gil said launder: a series of partitions extending inside the launder at right angles from the bottom thereof and parallel to the sides thereof, a series of partitions extending inside the launder at right angles from the bottom thereof and each connecting two partitions extending parallel to thesides; a third series of partitions at an angle with the partitions of the two first series and connected at one I of their ends to said partitions of the first two series and resting at :their other ends upon the lateral sides of the launder, means to independently move said first mentioned a-rtitions transversely of the launder, therey altering the inclination of the partitions of the second and third series.

In testimony whereof I signed hereunto my.

name.

ANTOINE FRANCE. 

